Marketing Economics glossary

What Is Marginal ROAS?

Definition

Marginal ROAS is the additional revenue generated by an additional unit of ad spend.

How Marginal ROAS Works

It evaluates the slope of the spend-response curve rather than averaging all historical revenue over all spend.

A Simple Example

A campaign may report 5× average ROAS, but the next $10,000 of spend may generate only $25,000 in added revenue—a 2.5× marginal ROAS.

Why Marginal ROAS Matters

Budget decisions concern the return on the next dollar, so marginal ROAS is often more useful for scaling than average ROAS.

Common Misreading

Average ROAS can stay strong while incremental spend is already unprofitable. Do not assume the historical average applies to the next tranche.